The Five Scarves - Elemental Control Part 5
by RaceProUK
Summary: (Book 2 of 3, Part 5 of 5) Hanna has succumbed to the corrupting influence of the Fire Crystal, and it's up to Rob to stop her before it's too late. But he cannot do so without a little help from a certain water dragon…
1. Chapter 1

Hanna's choice of headquarters for the Neo-Elementals is the same underground bunker complex the two surviving guards had taken refuge in after the destruction of the compound. Overnight, she had slept in the small room she and Rob had slept in before; today, she will be making more permanent arrangements.

Waking mid-morning, Hanna elects to first explore the entire complex, and build a mental map. The majority of the bunker is empty; however, she does at least find a bathroom, although the plumbing is non-functional.

Hanna's exploration continues until noon, at which point hunger catches up to her. Realising she has no supplies, she swiftly makes her way back to the bunker entrance, leaps on her ATV, and speeds off to Shang Mu.

* * *

Hanna returns to the bunker complex late in the evening, with supplies, a hammock, some plumbing tools, and several cans of spray-paint. After erecting the hammock in a convenient room, Hanna spends the rest of the evening spraying the Neo-Elementals logo she designed the day before not only on the bunker entrance, but also numerous times in the rooms and corridors of the complex.

By midnight, all the cans of spray-paint had been spent. Satisfied, and with a few paint stains in her fur, Hanna turns in for the night.

* * *

The next morning, Hanna sets about fixing the plumbing. It doesn't take much; after fixing a few leaks, the bunker complex has running water throughout, although there is no hot water supply. But Hanna decides the lack of hot water isn't an issue; she can heat some on demand, thanks to the Fire Crystal.

* * *

Late evening; Hanna is swaying gently in the hammock, pleased with the improvements she's made to the bunker complex. _I think I'm going to like it here. I do rather miss having company though. I'm surprised Rob hasn't tried to find me yet; then again, it's only been two days since I left him. Maybe he's just taking his time deciding that I'm right._ She whiles away the time clicking her fingers. Every click causes a flame to appear at the tip of her thumb; a quick shake of the hand extinguishes the flame.

Hanna sits up suddenly. _What if he's preparing to fight me? If he was going to join me in this venture, he'd have come by now, surely? I know he'll have guessed that this is where I'm setting up. It's not like I want to fight him, but if he won't join me, I'll have no choice but to destroy him. He's stood in my way long enough. _Hanna lays back down, and closes her eyes. _Right now, I've got more important things to worry about; I have unfinished business._


	2. Chapter 2

The following morning, a cloaked Hanna patrols the centre of Shang Mu, on the lookout for the assassination target; she takes great care to keep her face hidden. All morning she searches, wondering if she'll ever find-

_There he is._ Hanna spots her target; he is surrounded by bodyguards. _Your retinue won't save you, nor will that infernal dragon, that irritating feline, or that ginger-haired brat. Today, you _will_ die._ Tailing her target, keeping a respectful distance, Hanna follows until the target and his retinue board an opulent transport vehicle.

_Driving away won't help you either._ Hanna ducks down a nearby alley, and swiftly scales a drainpipe onto the roof. Approaching the edge of the roof, she relocates the vehicle; it's pulled away and joined the flow of traffic. Hanna activates her Crystal; a thin aura of flame surrounds her. Using the power of the Crystal to boost her speed, Hanna bounds along the rooftops, always keeping the vehicle in sight.

* * *

An hour later, in the leafy outskirts of the city, the vehicle parks outside a respectably sized suburban house. Hanna perches in a tree a few hundred yards away; she deactivates her Crystal as she scales the trunk. Her target alights from the vehicle and approaches the house; the vehicle leaves.

_That was the last journey you'll make for the rest of your life._ Hanna drops from the tree, and sprints over to the end of the path that leads to the front door of the house. Activating her Crystal once more, she surrounds herself with a thick aura of intense flame.

"Time to burn," she growls, eyes black, voice augmented by a deep undertone.

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, Hanna is back in the tree, sitting on one of the thicker branches, leaning against the trunk, smiling, Crystal idle. The house is a raging inferno; some sections are on the verge of collapse. _Third time's the charm._

Hanna's ears prick; sirens in the distance. _That's my cue to leave. Shame, I was enjoying the view._ Hanna drops from the tree, activates her Crystal, and makes her escape at high speed.

* * *

Evening, and Rob is watching the news at home in Rage Ravine; the headline item is coverage of the death of Mayor Zao's chief political rival in a devastating house fire. _Surely she didn't…_

"Emergency services were called just minutes after the fire started," the reporter informs. "But despite their best efforts, they were unable to save the family of four. The police are treating the fire as suspicious; several residents claim to have witnessed a fox approaching the house-"

Rob turns off the TV in disgust. _This time you have gone too far, Hanna. And it's me who'll have to stop you._ Rob slumps back on the sofa, sighing a deep sigh of helplessness. _How can I though? If I use the Crystal, I may succumb to its corruptive influence, just as you have to yours. But if I don't, you'll kill me without effort._

Rob sits upright and picks up the Metal Crystal. "I don't know why I'm talking to you, but I am. I don't want to use you, but I have been left with no choice. Hanna must be stopped before she totally loses control, and you are the only thing I can rely on to keep me alive long enough to do so. I wish there was another way, but-"

Rob pauses; his gaze switches to the Water Crystal, sat on the table with the Wood and Earth Crystals.

_Can I really ask _her_ for help? Will she even _want_ to?_


	3. Chapter 3

Sunrise the next morning. Rob makes his way through Dragon Valley, looking for a treehouse he knows exists, but doesn't know the exact location of. _I never thought I'd set foot in Dragon Valley, let alone be searching for where she lives. Not even when she was a fellow Scarf, did I know where she lived. It was a very well-kept secret; only she and her closest friend knew…_

* * *

Mid-morning, and Rob finally locates the treehouse. He can see activity through the window. _I'd rather they didn't see me, but then again, I do want them to find this package as soon as possible._ Rob sprints to the base of the tree, hangs the package on the base of the ladder, and sprints away into the cover of the trees.

Rob pauses to look back briefly; he spots a green face in the window looking right at him. _I guess I _was_ noticed. No matter; I hope she can help me. But I'm not expecting her to._

* * *

"Hey Lilac," Carol calls, staring out the window after the retreating figure, "some grey rabbit guy just dropped a package at the bottom of our ladder."

"Can you go get it?" Lilac requests. "I'm a bit busy; Milla's giving me a new hairstyle."

"I thought it was dogs who played fetch?" Carol quips with a smile as she heads to the ladder; she just catches Milla sticking her tongue out cheekily as she heads outside. A moment later, she returns with a small package, hastily wrapped in brown paper and loosely bound with twine.

"It's addressed to you," Carol informs, handing the package to Lilac; Lilac takes the package and unwraps it.

"It's a letter and a sapphire," she observes. "There's something unusual about the gem though," she adds distractedly, holding the sapphire up to admire it.

"It's so pretty!" Milla chirps, completely forgetting Lilac's hair. "Can I hold it? Please?"

"Huh?" Lilac replies; her attention suddenly snaps away from the sapphire. "Yeah, sure, why not?" she adds, handing the gem to Milla; Milla giggles joyfully as she plays with it.

"It's huge! I don't think I've ever seen a gem that big!" Carol exclaims. "Except the Kingdom Stone. And those big yellow ones we stopped Zao stealing," she adds a moment later. "Who gave it to you?"

"If you let me read the letter," Lilac answers with a cheeky smile, "I'd be able to tell you."

"So much for dragons being fast!" Carol quips, returning Lilac's cheeky smile.

"Just shush and let me read," Lilac chuckles as she starts to read the letter; as she gets further down the page, her expression morphs from relaxed amusement, through intrigue, concern, and horror, ending in determination; she folds the letter neatly before placing it on the sofa in front of her.

"Uh-oh," Carol says. "I know that look."

"What look?" Lilac asks.

"The 'Little Miss Heropants' look."

"I have a 'Little Miss Heropants' look?"

"Duh."

"Is something wrong?" Milla asks, voice coloured with concern.

"Someone needs our help," Lilac answers. "Badly."

"Are we going on another adventure?" Milla asks excitedly.

"It'll be dangerous," Lilac warns.

"And fighting Brevon and his gigantic army wasn't?" Carol quips.

"Don't remind me," Lilac shivers, instinctively reaching to hold a hair whip; she turns to Milla. "Can I have that gem back please?"

"But you said I could hold it," Milla protests.

"I know I did," Lilac assures. "But now I need it back."

"OK," Milla sighs, handing the Water Crystal back to Lilac.


	4. Chapter 4

Mid-afternoon; Rob returns home after his visit to Dragon Valley. He fetches a chilled drink from the kitchen, downing a few mouthfuls before slumping in the chair; he places the drink on the table, next to the Metal Crystal. _I am taking a huge risk, trusting Lilac with the Water Crystal. I've been able to control my use of the Metal Crystal well enough so far, but I'm still not comfortable using it. And knowing what the Fire Crystal has done to Hanna… I don't want to be the one responsible for the fall of a true heroine._

Rob thinks for a few moments. _I think she'll be able to handle it; after all, she did defeat Brevon and his army, and she only had help from two kids and that 'shell-duck' guy, Turk. Or was it Tark? Something like that. I've heard that Spade helped too, but I have my doubts. Why would he help people he sees as traitors? Besides, he was busy handling Prince Dail._

* * *

Meanwhile, Lilac sits on the balcony, holding the Water Crystal in one hand, peering into its depths.

"Whatcha doin'?" Carol asks, sitting next to Lilac.

"I'm trying to decide whether I should use this or not," Lilac replies.

"Why?"

"Because, if Rob is right, it could corrupt me."

"Rob?"

"Rob Stiil; he wrote the letter and gave me this… 'Water Crystal', as he calls it."

"Wait, Rob Stiil? The guy who hung around that vicious, nasty, mangy-"

"_Carol!_" Lilac snaps, fixing Carol with a disapproving look.

"Sorry," Carol mumbles as she hangs her head in shame.

"It's Hanna he's asked us to help," Lilac continued, her gaze returning to the Crystal. "In fact, he asked me specifically, because of what this Crystal is. But, if I'm honest, I'm not even sure if I should interfere at all."

"You didn't hesitate before running right into Brevon's hands to save Torque," Carol reminds.

"Exactly," Lilac states, instinctively reaching to hold a hair whip.

"I don't understand."

"I was careless then, and it nearly got us all killed." Lilac looks away from the Water Crystal, locking eyes with Carol. "I won't make that mistake again."

* * *

Evening, and Rob has collected all the equipment he needs to fight Hanna: a pair of sai, half a dozen shurikens, his double-baldric, and the Metal Crystal. He sheathes the sai in the holsters on the double-baldric, and clips the shurikens in their holster to one of the belt hooks. The last task is to seat the Metal Crystal in its cavity.

Rob picks up the Crystal, and gazes into its depths; the interior of the Crystal appears to writhe, as if in turmoil. _It seems the Crystal feels the way I feel right now._ Rob drops his hand, breaking his gaze. _That's stupid. It's a rock; it doesn't have feelings._

Securing the Crystal in the double-baldric, Rob relaxes in the chair. _There's nothing more I need to do now, except to save Hanna from herself. I hope I have some back-up. If not… well, I'll just have to do my best. Even if it kills me._

* * *

Meanwhile, Lilac is putting the finishing touches on a new belt, designed to hold the Water Crystal in the buckle. Carol is servicing her bike, and Milla is playing with the Water Crystal.

"Lilac?"

Lilac looks up from her work; she sees Milla's worried expression.

"What is it Milla?" Lilac asks softly.

"I'm scared," Milla answers nervously.

"Me too. Just remember we won against Brevon," Lilac reminds, instinctively reaching to hold a hair whip. "We'll win this one too."

"But what if I turn into…" Milla tails off, eyes watering, unable to complete the sentence.

"That won't happen," Lilac assures, handing Milla a tissue.

"Promise?"

"Promise."

With a smile, Milla wipes her eyes dry, and returns to playing with the Crystal.


	5. Chapter 5

Early morning, and Rob approaches the entrance to the underground bunker; the last time he was here was when he and Hanna were 'captured' by the two surviving Elemental guards. Hanna's new symbol adorns the door; Rob shivers at the sight of it.

Checking the Metal Crystal is securely fixed central to his torso, Rob slowly approaches the door. Finding it open just enough to slip through, he does so. _Saves having to move the door; it's likely to make a lot of noise if I try._

Sneaking through the corridors, Rob sees the same symbol repeated multiple times; every single room and corridor has at least one symbol on the wall. _It's worse than I thought; Hanna's gone full-on crazy. She's making the Ethereal look as docile as a new-born baby._

* * *

Meanwhile, Lilac and Milla sit on the sofa, ready to leave, waiting for Carol; Carol is snoozing in bed. Lilac double-checks her new belt while Milla bobs her head slightly to the melodic ditty she is humming.

"Carol! Rise and shine!" Lilac calls loudly; Milla stops humming as Lilac's call snaps her attention back to the present.

"Come back later," Carol calls back, half-asleep.

"Milla, you know what to do."

Milla giggles briefly before dashing up to the bedroom in silence. A few moments later, Milla barks as loud as she can. Carol yelps in surprise; Lilac hears a loud thump as Carol rolls out of bed, landing on the floor.

"She's up!" Milla giggles as she enters the den, bounding back to the sofa. A few minutes later, Carol plods into the den.

"Ready to go?" Lilac asks Carol, smiling cheekily.

"I fall for that trick every time," Carol sighs in response.

* * *

Deep within the compound, Rob comes across a room he vaguely recognises. Entering the room, he sees Hanna's symbol daubed roughly on the wall. _It seems the deeper I go, the cruder the symbol is painted. Oh Hanna, this isn't you. This isn't you at all. I fear you have truly gone insane._ Rob then notices the two charred corpses; the sight makes his stomach churn. _I have to get out of here._

Retracing his steps, Rob makes his way back to the bunker entrance. _Maybe she isn't here; it's not out of the question that we've simply missed each other. This bunker complex is pretty large; I remember the first time we were here, it took us a few hours to find our way back out. Thankfully, this time it won't take so long; if the symbols are getting neater, I'm going in the right direction. Not that that fact makes me feel any better._

Eventually, Rob reaches the bunker entrance. _I'll hide in a nearby tree, wait for Hanna to-_

"Leaving so soon?" a familiar voice chimes.


	6. Chapter 6

"Hello Hanna," Rob says, turning to face her.

"Hello Rob," Hanna replies. "Come to join me?"

"We both know the answer to that."

"And there I was, hoping you'd seen the way."

"You immolated an entire family, just to make up for the failed assassinations. Why?"

"I don't like to leave a job unfinished."

"That's no excuse to murder innocents."

"Since when did you become so morally upstanding?" Hanna challenges. "You're a Red Scarf; you make a living from theft and murder."

"There's a difference between assassination and indiscriminate slaughter."

"Trivial details."

"Speaking of details," Rob sighs, "thankyou for clearing up one that will make what I'm about to do _much_ easier."

"And what detail would that be?"

"You."

"Explain."

"You are no longer the fox I fell for all those years ago," Rob explains. "I don't know who you are anymore. But there is one thing I do know for sure: I have to stop you."

"You know I won't go without a fight."

"I know."

"Then let's not waste any more time."

"One last sparring match."

"To the death."

"May the Ancients have mercy on what remains of your soul."

Rob charges, Crystal activated, sai drawn, aiming for Hanna's throat; Hanna charges in response, Crystal activated, steel nunchaku twirling. The two fighters meet; the shockwave of clashing weapons and Crystal power cracks the corridor walls for twenty feet in both directions.

The recoil of the impact pushes the fighters apart. Hanna rolls onto her feet; Rob slides to a halt, and charges again. Hanna counters Rob's attack, spinning round and swinging her nunchaku at the back of Rob's head. Rob ducks into a roll, the nunchaku just chiming off the top of his ears; he recovers into a crouch in time to see Hanna charging him down, nunchaku discarded, claws at full extension. Rob allows his momentum to pull him over backwards. As he does so, he raises a foot, plants it in Hanna's midriff, and pushes her up and over. She switches from a dive into a roll as she lands, ending on her feet; she has barely enough time to react to Rob's next attack, a stream of high-speed shrapnel. Hanna raises a thick wall of flame to deflect the shrapnel, then pushes the wall in front of her. It impacts Rob hard enough to knock him back ten feet; he lands on his back with a loud metallic clang. He rises and prepares another attack, but it's too late; Hanna has summoned a huge corridor-filling fireball. She pushes the fireball with all the Crystal energy she can muster; Rob has no chance of escape.

He barely has enough time to cross his arms and raise a shield.


	7. Chapter 7

Outside the bunker, Carol slews to a halt; Milla half-jumps, half-falls off the bike. Lilac slides to a halt alongside.

"I can hear voices," Carol observes, killing the bike's engine. "And fighting."

"Must be Rob and Hanna," Lilac concludes.

"They sound angry," Milla murmurs uneasily.

"Shall we go in and help?" Carol asks.

"No," Lilac decides.

"Why?" Carol asks.

Without warning, the doors to the bunker blow out; Milla instinctively raises a shield. A huge fireball screams out of the bunker entrance, pushing a quicksilver-clad figure over a hundred feet before dissipating; the quicksilver figure slams into the ground and slides another fifty feet before stopping.

"That's why," Lilac answers.

"That was both very cool and very scary," Carol mutters; Milla drops her shield.

A moment later, a raging inferno exits the bunker; it's just about possible to see the fox in its centre. The quicksilver figure struggles to his feet; he notices Lilac, Carol and Milla.

"Bet you never thought I'd send for help!" Rob shouts to Hanna; Hanna looks over, and sees Lilac.

"You asked _her_ for help?" Hanna screams at Rob. "When I'm done with you, I'll kill her too! And her pathetic friends! _No-one can stop me now!_"

"Do you really think so?" Rob retorts. "You forgetting one thing: _water defeats fire!_"

"That's my cue," Lilac declares. "Leave this to me. Milla, protect Carol."

"Hey…" Carol sighs in mock offense.

Lilac charges a Dragon Boost, and unleashes it directly at Hanna; Hanna turns and fires a spear of incandescence in response.

The Water Crystal activates.

Lilac is surrounded by a column of water; the spear of flame meets Lilac head-on. It's no match for the hydroshield surrounding the water dragon; the fire disperses with a hiss of steam. Lilac's Boost ends; she seamlessly switches into a full-speed run, slamming a Crystal-enhanced Ground Cyclone hard into Hanna, slamming her into the wall behind. The impact cracks the rock face; Hanna rebounds, rolls a short distance onto all fours, surrounds herself with an intense fireball, and charges Lilac. The distraction allows Rob to fire off a stream of shrapnel; the few shards that survive the flame slice through Hanna's double-baldric. It slips out of position; the flaming aura begins to weaken. Lilac leaps backwards; the time she buys is just enough. She charges another Boost, unleashing it barely a moment before a leaping Hanna can sink her claws deep into Lilac's throat.

A deafening thunderclap fills the air.

The shockwave of the impact is colossal; everyone is knocked flat, concealed in an expanding cloud of steam and dust.

Only Milla is left standing, protected by her green energy shield; she drops it as silence falls.

Carol picks herself up, dusts herself off, shakes her head to clear the ringing in her ears, and looks over to where Lilac last was. "Lilac?" she calls out, voice brittle with worry.

"That hurt," Lilac calls back, voice strained by the pain. "But don't worry, I'm OK. I'm just a… bit battered, s'all." Carol breathes a sigh of relief.

"What on Avalice happened?" Rob calls out, lost in the dust cloud, Metal Crystal deactivated.

"I don't know," Lilac answers. "But I think it's all over."

The steam and dust cloud starts to dissipate. Lilac is on all fours, bruised and battered, limbs shaking, Water Crystal deactivated, grimacing, struggling to get up; Carol and Milla sprint over to help her stand. Rob picks himself up and joins them, limping slightly; he sees Hanna's shredded double-baldric on the ground by Lilac's feet, Fire Crystal still housed within.

"Where's Hanna?" Rob asks, voice betraying a mild panic.

"Over there!" Milla cries in anguish, pointing to the lifeless blood-stained body thirty feet away.

Rob sprints to Hanna's body, Lilac, Carol and Milla following slowly; he drops to his knees, hangs his head, and starts to weep.

"I think you killed her," he murmurs in despair.

"I… I m-mean… I d-didn't…" Lilac stammers, tears rolling down her cheeks. "I'm… I'm… I'm…"

"I know," Rob assures. "You did what you had to do. I just wish she hadn't forced you to do so."

Silence descends, broken only by the quiet sobs of a distraught dragon and a forlorn hare.

A moment later, Carol's ears prick. "Lilac, can you stand?" she asks softly. Lilac nods silently, eyes closed in sorrow; Milla hugs her tightly, shedding tears of sympathy. Carol kneels down beside the body, puts her ear to Hanna's chest, and her hand half an inch above Hanna's mouth. A moment later, Carol's eyes widen in surprise; a smile lights up her face. "She's alive!"

Rob and Lilac stare at each other in hope and disbelief.


	8. Chapter 8

Hanna wakes with a start. _Where on Avalice am I? What on Avalice happened? And why on Avalice do I have a splitting headache?_ Hanna tries to sit up. She struggles for a few moments before flopping back down onto the bed; the impact, though slight, sends a bolt of pain through her skull. _Won't be trying that again in a hurry._

"Don't worry about getting up," a familiar male voice soothes. "If you want anything, just ask."

"Rob?" Hanna croaks, voice flat, weak, and dry.

"Of course," Rob confirms. "Lilac's here too."

"Why is _she_ here? What happened to me?"

"You went insane. When I came to stop you, you tried to kill me. Then, when you saw Lilac, you turned on her. She succeeded where I failed, almost killing you in the process," Rob explains. "We brought you back home, dressed your wounds, and made sure you were comfortable."

"I refused to leave until you woke up," Lilac adds softly. "I wanted to be sure you'd recover. We may have had our differences in the past," she continues, "and your actions over the last few days have been horrific and deplorable, but there was no chance of standing back and letting you destroy yourself, Rob, or anyone else."

"Why am I not surprised? But I don't remember any of that," Hanna murmurs.

"You will" Rob assures reluctantly. "And you'll remember the family you burned alive."

Hanna tries again to sit up; all she can do is shuffle up the bed enough to prop herself up on the pillows. "Family?" she asks in confusion.

"Father, mother, and two children."

"Ch-ch-children?" Hanna stammers, her voice cracking in shock, horror, and disbelief.

"Two of them."

"I don't… Wait… I'm remembering…" Hanna mumbles; she sits bolt upright as a wave of despair washes over her. "It's… It's too much to… I mean … I didn't…" she sobs.

"You were corrupted by the Crystal," Rob soothes.

"What have I done?" Hanna wails, tears streaming down her cheeks; she buries her head in her hands, rolling onto her side, crying freely as she realises just how far she fell.

"Take your time," Rob requests softly.

"We'll be downstairs," Lilac adds.

"Call us if you need anything," Rob finishes; he and Lilac leave Hanna to her sorrow, and head downstairs. Carol is laid on the sofa, Milla curled up under a blanket on the floor beside, both fast asleep; Lilac yawns deeply at the sight of her slumbering friends.

"You should really get some sleep," Rob suggests, keeping his voice to a low whisper. "You were pretty beat up yesterday, _and_ you've been up all night."

"And you weren't?" Lilac whispers back, smiling wearily. "Besides, I've been through worse," she adds, instinctively holding a hair whip.

"Touché. But don't worry about me; I'll be fine."

"If you insist. Looks like it'll have to be the chair."

"You can use what's left of my cloak if you like." Rob fetches the cloak from its hook; Lilac settles into the chair, wrapping the cloak over her shoulders. "Thankyou again," Rob whispers as Lilac settles. "I don't think I could have done it without your help. If there's anything I can do in return, just ask."

"No need; it's what we do," Lilac assures sleepily, eyes closed. "There is one thing you can do though," she adds after a brief pause.

"What?" Rob asks.

"Get rid of those Crystals; they're nothing but trouble."

"I assure you, I intend to do just that."

"Good." Lilac finally allows sleep take hold of her. Rob decides to rest a moment, sat leaning against the back of the chair; moments later, he too is fast asleep.


	9. Epilogue

Three days later, Hanna stands atop a cliff, overlooking a deep and wide river. The wind blows through what hair isn't held down by a thick bandage, ruffling it slightly. Her red scarf is held in her hand, fluttering in the breeze.

"The other Crystals are gone," Rob reminds her. "There's just one left. Ready?"

"Ready," Hanna confirms.

Rob hands Hanna the Fire Crystal; she takes a long look into the Crystal's depths. Without warning, she throws the Crystal with as much effort as she can muster; it soars into the canyon, landing in the centre of the river, sinking to the bottom.

For the next few moments, Hanna stares at the location the Crystal sank.

"How do you feel?" Rob asks.

Hanna takes a deep breath. "Free," she sighs in relief.

"That's good to hear."

"I'll miss it."

"I'll miss mine."

"It's better without them though."

"Absolutely."

Hanna pauses a moment. "One more thing."

"Yes?"

"No more killing."

"Hm."

"You sound surprised."

"A little."

"Me too. But after…" Hanna tails off, unwilling to remind herself of the horror.

"I understand."

"No you don't."

"I know; I lied to make you feel better."

"I know."

"Did it work?"

"Not really. Thanks though."

"Can't blame me for trying."

"Yes I can."

"Welcome back," Rob smiles.

"You can't get rid of me that easily," Hanna flirts.

"You wouldn't make a very good Miss Goody-Blue-Boots anyway."

"Why not?"

"Your boots are black."

"That joke was awful," Hanna chuckles.

"Worth it to hear you laugh," Rob smiles.

"Yeah."

Hanna and Rob hold hands and share a moment of silence, staring out over the canyon.

"We should probably get going," Rob suggests after a few minutes. "We have a mission to accomplish. If you're up for it, that is."

"I'm up for it," Hanna declares.

"Sure? You can refuse it if you want."

"I'm sure," Hanna agrees; she pauses briefly. "Can I have a moment alone?"

"Of course." Rob leaves Hanna at the cliff edge.

Hanna stares forlornly at the river, at the point the Crystal sank. A moment later, she raises a hand and clicks her fingers. _No flame._

One last look over the canyon; she closes her eyes, takes a deep breath, and lets out a long, alleviating sigh. With a fresh and determined expression, she turns and follows Rob, fixing her familiar red scarf round her neck.

_It's for the best._


End file.
